Hello UK friends!
Thanks to Twitter, I learned that your PCOS management is being directly affected by the medication shortage being experienced by the UK.
It must be stressful to feel like something you feel is essential is just beyond the grasp of your fingers. I'm very sorry to hear about this and I hope the situation resolves quickly.
My first thought on hearing about this dilemma was wondering what this kind of situation does to a woman's psyche--being told she has a certain diagnosis, that she needs to take medications for that diagnosis, and then being told she cannot get those medications. Likely dredges up the same kind of feelings you had if you've ever, on your PCOS journey, been told you're infertile. And…if you're not careful, some self-destructive ways to deal with the anxiety and frustration these kinds of situations have the potential to generate.
I hope, in those of you affected who are reading this, that you don't allow this situation to control you. In times like this, there can be a temptation to engage in behaviors (such as binge eating), to manage the stress. To feel like there is nothing you can do, so why bother? And those are exactly the times when you cannot let those feelings get the best of you.
This may actually be a time of opportunity for you, if you choose to frame the situation in that way! It can be your chance to revisit lifestyle changes and try some new things. Maybe tighten up the eating a bit, become more committed to regular activity. Focus on as many good things as you can do for yourself as possible. The name inCYST is a very intentional choice, as it encourages a more active involvement in your own well being. There is much more you can control than you can sometimes be told!
Of course, this blog is one resource. I also recommend www.pcoschallenge.com for emotional support and accountability.
Flutamide is not approved in the US because of toxicity concerns(for those of you unfamiliar with it, it is an androgen binder), so natural options for balancing androgens is something we're always looking to write about. Because it's never been a treatment option here, everything we write about on this blog is from the perspective of helping the woman who doesn't have access to that medication. So take some time and browse.
Lifestyle change is not the be-all-end-all solution. But it is an essential foundation. Take a few minutes and browse our archives. Find a new food to try. A reason to put the running shoes on. A coping technique that averts stress eating (if you haven't read Dr. HOUSE's post on how to avoid binge eating, now's the time!).